Welcome to The Architect's Newspaper Blog! It looks like you're new here, so you may want to consider joining the discussion on our Facebook page or on Twitter. Stay up to date with the latest blog stories by subscribing to the AN Blog RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

We mourned the King of Pop and watched YouTube videos of all our favorite songs….and then we wondered what was going to happen to Neverland, the Santa Barbara playground/estate that became an image of scandal. With the singer’s untimely death, speculation about a memorial park along the lines of Graceland has started.

The real-estate developer that will decide the fate of the property is L.A.-based Colony Capital. Facing financial woes, in November of 2008, the singer transferred the $24.5 million debt on the property (for an unspecified, but presumably majority stake) to Colony Capital, creating a company called Sycamore Valley Ranch–now jointly owned by Colony Capital and Jackson’s estate. Colony Capital’s owner, Thomas Barrack Jr., blogged: “We were pleased to help support his return to public life through our acquisition of Neverland Ranch…Of course, Neverland itself is now a mythical sanctuary to Michael and we are doing our best to accommodate the throngs of global press and fans arriving there to express their grief.” A company spokesperson declined to comment about future plans, but said that wreaths have been ordered to drape the gates. –Lydia Lee